(first published 3/1/2012) This type of car doesn’t exist any more. The last vestige of this type of traditional American luxury car ended when the last Town Cars rolled off the line in St. Thomas, Ontario in August of 2011. The coupe version had been discontinued thirty years earlier, but in the mid to late 1970s, a twenty foot long, 460 CID V8 powered luxury cruiser really meant something.

The Lincoln Continental coupe returned to the lineup in 1966, five years after the classic 1961 Continental was introduced. The Lincoln name just barely avoided being eliminated from the Ford Motor Company lineup after the disastrous 1958-60 model. Robert McNamara wanted Lincoln gone and only saved it due to his admiration of a particular Thunderbird styling study. The T-Bird coupe proposal was modified into a four door Lincoln by the design staff and subsequently approved for production.

As a result of these drastic changes, there was initially a very limited lineup, consisting of a sedan and four door convertible sporting suicide doors, a Continental feature that would be retained for the rest of the decade. The coupe was an attempt to broaden the lineup, and was possibly added due to the future cancellation of the slow-selling convertible. A more formal roofline was added to the coupe in 1968, but the mild restyling was most likely overshadowed by the new Continental Mark III personal luxury car (photo above). It soon outsold the Continental coupe many times over.

In 1970 a redesigned Continental appeared, minus the suicide doors. Hidden headlamps were a new feature. It continued to be available in sedan and two door hardtop models. As before, the Mark III blew the Continental coupe out of the water sales-wise. Power came from a 460 CID, 365 hp four-barrel V8.

First introduced in 1969 as an interior option, the Town Car became a full production model in 1972 on the sedan, although the package was the basis for a 50th Anniversary package in 1971. The 50th Anniversary Town Car included special gold paint (although other colors were available), Town Car interior and a commemorative plaque on the instrument panel. The 1972 package included Town Car script on the sail panels, special upholstery in velour or optional leather, Cavalry twill vinyl roof, special keys and the owner’s initials on the front doors. In 1973 this option was extended to the coupe, and the Town Coupe was born.

There was a mild restyle for 1974, mostly due to a new 5 mph bumper being added to the rear, matching the heavier front bumper federally mandated the year before. While Lincoln simply extended and reinforced the ’72 front bumper in 1973, the 1974 had a new design to match the back. A new grille, parking lamps moved from the bumper to the front fenders and revised tail lamps rounded out the changes. Both the Town Car and Town Coupe continued as premium versions of the Continental, along with the Mark IV, which had replaced the Mark III in 1972.

In 1975, the standard Continentals received a mild freshening. The biggest change were more formal roof lines on both the sedan and the coupe. While the sedan received an optional oval opera window taken from the Mark IV, the Continental coupe and Town Coupe received a square opera window in the rear pillar with a gold Continental star inset into it. Town Coupes added an opera light set into the B-pillar, along with the usual added power and comfort upgrades. Seats in the Town Car/Coupe were in a new loose-pillow style that was rapidly being added to every Brougham, Regency and Limited luxury package in the industry. I find these interiors extremely luxurious and appealing, especially with the optional leather seating surfaces.

In 1977, the Continentals received a Mark-style vertical grille and new hood, but were otherwise little-changed. I should mention that in 1977 Cadillac introduced its downsized C-body de Villes and Fleetwoods. Although drastically reduced in both size and weight, these cars actually had more passenger room and trunk room compared to the ’76s.

They were the cars of the future, but at the time, many Cadillac owners were probably wondering what happened to their car. I wouldn’t be surprised if many former Cadillac owners went to Lincoln in 1977-79. But it couldn’t last. Federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations were coming, and Lincoln was going to have to do the same thing, and soon.

But not quite yet. In 1978, the Continentals got more open rear wheel wells, thanks to reduced-size fender skirts. It also got a new instrument panel, which looked suspiciously like the one found in the Mercury Marquis. The 400 V8 was standard by this time, but you could still get the 460 as an option.

The party was just about over for the truly full-size Continental, and 1979 was the last year. There were only minor cosmetic changes. The silver trim on the instrument panel was changed to woodgrain and there were a few new colors.

A Collector’s Series special edition was introduced in 1979 to celebrate the last of the traditional Continentals. Colors were limited to white or midnight blue metallic. Inside, a unique Kasmin II luxury cloth interior with special 36 oz. carpeting was available in midnight blue only, though leather was an option. Other special features included leather-wrapped tool kit, owner’s manual and an umbrella.

Unfortunately, this package was only available on the sedans; the Continental coupe and Town Coupe were left out. Fortunately, all the usual gadgets and power options were available, as usual. If you wanted a truly large Continental, this was your last chance. New, trimmer Continentals were introduced for 1980, based on the Panther platform Mercury Marquis and Ford LTD that had debuted in 1979.

The 1980 Continentals and Marks were now on the same platform, with the main difference being different front and rear styling and a shorter wheelbase on the two-door Mark VIs. There was also a new four-door Mark VI. The Town Coupe continued on the sedan’s wheelbase, but only for one model year.

In 1981, all Continentals were renamed Town Cars. The trim level had now become the model name. What had been the 1980 Town Coupe was still available, but it was now called a Town Car Signature Series two door. The coupes never sold like the sedans did during the Seventies, as most two-door buyers went for the Mark, but 1980-81 coupe sales were miniscule even by the previous standard, and they were eliminated for the 1982 model year.

I have driven past this 1978 Town Coupe almost every day since November or so. About a month ago I finally stopped to check it out. At first glance it appears to be the standard Continental, as it is missing the Town Coupe script on the sail panel, but it has the opera lamps and loose pillow interior in tan velour. It is also equipped with a gold-tinted moonroof.

My guess is the Town Coupe emblems were left off when the vinyl top was replaced. It has the wide-band whitewalls, forged aluminum wheels and premium bodyside molding as well. I think the Firestone tires are original, or near original, as they were severely cracked.

This survivor reminds the passing traffic of the time when Lincolns were really Lincolns, and when owning a full-size, six passenger luxury coupe meant you had arrived.

81 Comments

You know, seeing these just brings back all the “trauma” I went through as pillarless hardtops disappeared in the fog of fixed and opera windows. Not that the pillaless style was the deal-breaker for me, but the lack of having a window in the back seat that was not able to be rolled down is what did it for me, rendering mid- and full-sized coupes useless and impractical. It just did not and still does not make sense to have such a large car without a functional rear seating area.

I do not miss these cars at all, beautiful as they may be. Too many bad memories.

To me it was much more outrageous that, when GM downsized their midsize cars for 1978, the side windows did not open even on the four-doors. That was mind-blowing to me at the time. A friend’s dad got a ’78 Cutlass sedan with the weird slant-back as a company car, and even though he never rode in the back seat of his own car, he could not believe the windows didn’t open. (Maybe this wasn’t true of the wagon versions; I can’t remember for certain.)

I must admit I’m a BIG SEDAN GUY. If you can haul 4 adult males in comfort and the golf clubs, I’m in. I love these cars and the related Mercury Grand Marquis. If I honestly thought that adding a Gear Vendors overdrive, dual exhausts, and tuning it up to perfection would give me 25mpg highway… I’d buy one. Otherwise give me a 2000s Lincoln Town Car Cartier.

Yes. We had the four-door version of this car, a 1977 model, which I believe was the last year you could get the 460 (which ours had). My dad offered it to me a few years ago, but alas, at 20 feet long, it wouldn’t fit in my garage and it was too nice to store outside in Seattle.

I could never be able to look past that dang wheel, If you worked your a** off for years to go from various Fords thru Mercury to finally arrive at……Hell, No wonder full size Buicks and Cadillacs did relatively well in those “Malaise” years, How much more can a different steering wheel cost when comparing the P/C ratio from a Pinto to a Town car?!?!

Thanks for posting this. I always thought that the loose-pillow look in the Lincolns was much more elegant than the puffier “bordello” style found in GM and Chrysler cars of the period.

Incidentally, my 1969 Lincoln brochure shows a “Town Car ultra-luxury interior option”. There were no external trim differences nor was there any “Town Car” script. The rear seat of a sedan is pictured, but the text doesn’t say that the option was available on the sedan only. So there may have been a sort of early version of the Town Coupe. This seems to have been available for one year only until the more well-known Town Car package came along later. Just a bit of trivia that shows the earliest use of this name.

These cars were the pinnacle, the epitome, the zenith of Sledom. Their Sleddishness was part of a bygone era. They look cool in their enormous manner but driving them is a whole different experience. The are slow, softly sprung and difficult to pilot. I suppose they were designed for a type of driving we simply don’t have on the West Coast of Canuckistan.

A couple of years ago I came across a 1978 four door, black, the perfect Mafia hitmobile. The owner was an old guy and he was impressed my friend and I knew so much about the car. The really great thing about these cars was the quality; it was heads and above better than any Caddy of the era. The leather on the seats was better than anything I have ever experienced before or since, the carpets top notch, and unlike a Caddy, things don’t fall off. The climate control in these cars always works, too! He started at CP7000 and went to CP3000 for me since I loved the car (Canuckistani Pesos, CP1=$.002 US) but in the end I demured. I didn’t have a place to park a twenty foot long car, nor would I ever get to drive it much in Vancouver’s horrid traffic. With the price in gasoline at the moment I am sure plenty of cool barges will be sailing up on Craigslist.

Premium has already hit that price in Vancouver. I paid $1.54 for 94 octane this week and since the 91 is a whole three cents cheaper and contains ethanol, I will spring the extra for the good, ethanol free, stuff.

Not that I really care, since my TL cost me $9000, I can afford to pay pretty much anything below $2.50 a litre before buying a Camry Hybrid be worth it. Too many people do not realise that depreciation is the real cost of a car, not the gasoline.

The irony here is there is no shortage of oil. Inventories are high and my oil stocks are not doing particularly well.

One of my favorite cars ever. My dad leased one of these from late 1977 to late 1979 (when he replaced it with the horrid 1980 Town Coupe). This was my favorite of any car Dad ever had. I graduated high school in 1978 and borrowed the Townie for the weekend for my senior prom. I ask you: how many kids get to drive their favorite car in all the world to their senior prom? I knew I was lucky then, and know it even more now.

Dad’s car was white/white outside with cordovan interior (a little browner than the dark cranberry red that was also offered). His was velour rather than leather, which was a pity. Ditto that he got standard wheelcovers rather than the turbine wheels. The ones on this car were my least favorite. At least he got the 460. My only disappointments with the 78 model was the cheapened dash (the 77 and earlier had a much better dash) and the teeny fender skirts. At the time, I liked the full fender skirts, but have come around to prefer the 78-79 versions.

Other than a minor rattle in the steering column, the car was trouble free and very well put together. It used good materials, and felt solid as a bank vault. And it was simply huge, which made me love it all the more. I would own one of these today, without hesitation. You have dredged up some great memories with this one. During the time Dad drove the 1980, he had his first heat attack (at 46) which led to him selling his business and taking a job in a cubicle. This 78 Town Coupe reminds me of my Dad during his happiest years, which is one more reason for me to fondly remember this one.

Thanks for the write up. I had a 77 Sedan, white with burgundy pillow look cloth. Bought it in 87 and sold it in 98. Fell in love with these things after I had to work a campaign event for George Wallace win he was seeking another term as Govenor of Alabama in 1982. Shook his hand as he was sitting in the back of a Black sedan. When he was re-elected in 1982 the state sent out an ad. seeking a low mileage 76-79 sedan for his official car. Govenor Wallace apparently found it easier to get in and out of the big ones after he was partially parilized in the assination attempt in 72 when he was running for President. I always thought the full fender skirts and the mercury speedometer in the earlier models was so kool, better than the 78-79 models when it looked like Ford was trying to make them look smaller with the cut out skirts. Working on the 77 everything was heavy duty, pulled stumps and hauled broken up concrete with that car. Tougher than most pick-ups. The handling was not great but the ride was better than anything I have ever experienced. For such a large car it was not that hard to drive and park since you could see the tips of all 4 fenders. Unfortunately the rear window had rust problems and the carburator need work, which was some expensive one to rebuild, so I sold it. Miss my old deep ride! Thanks for the memories.

Anyone have any idea of exactly why, with only two years of production left to go, Ford decided to swap out the proper “Lincoln” dash (one of the coolest dashboards ever) for the plebian Ford/Mercury dash…?!? Surely the cost savings could not have been that great…

Also, to pick a nit here, the front bumper on the ’74 was not “the one” that had appeared on the ’73. While the ’73 did have to meet the new frontal 5 mph standard for the first time, they did it by simply extending the ’72 bumper forward several inches, on shock-absorbing mounts. This was one of the more elegant solutions to this pathetic requirement, for the ’73 model year.

I wonder if anyone has ever been able to calculate the vast waste represented by the misguided 5 mph bumper standards? Waste in the extra materials and fuel economy penalties (weight gain)….but also in the increased costs to repair this generation of vehicles after an accident. They may have saved some repair costs on any nudge under 5 mph, but for every accident above that speed, the cars were significantly more expensive to fix. Good for the insurance companies, I guess..!!?!

Kind of continues to this day. How many people don’t bother to fix (or fix without claiming) when their new car gets a scratch (or dent or tear) in their plastic bumper-cap and they don’t want to spend (or hit up their insurance for) the $500 to $1500 it might cost to fix properly?

You are correct, I meant that both the ’73 and ’74 bumpers were 5 mph bumpers. The 1974s are unique in that both their front and rear styling were one-year-only designs. I knew that both the front and rear bumpers were redesigned for 1974, I just neglected to mention it. I will update the text to reflect this.

Anyway, thanks for the info and the pics of that gleaming beige barge. Where did the seller get those “wider whites”? If I spotted that car the make of tire would be the first thing I looked at. If they’re Firestones, they’re ancient and should be replaced. They could be “Diamond Backs” or “American Classics” but that would be a strange place to spend big bucks on a car you’re trying to unload.

I suspect that the bumper supports were rusty and the bumper fell off. If you look at the earlier pictures, it looks a little crooked. It’s still strange though, at this car is really clean, and had no body rust that I could see.

Sean S

Posted July 5, 2013 at 2:22 PM

I purchased my ’78 Lincoln Town Coupe without a bumper, and my car is in excellent shape with no rust as well. The previous owner said it fell off going down the highway. I also spoke with the owner of the local Lincoln Dealership, and he told me he recalled many of his good customers arriving into the dealership in the 80’s with the bumper laying in the trunk. Its the bumper brackets (or absorbers), that go first and rust away. Due to the large overhang of the car, snow and salt would collect in the rear bumper and rot the brackets away fairly quickly. I eliminated the absorbers and fabricated and welded a new bracket in its place on both sides.

During this era, my dad was a loyal GM guy, and drove a series of large GMs – ’69 Delta 88 convertible, ’71 Electra, and then a ’73 Sedan de Ville. My friend down the street’s dad had a series of Lincolns, and even then, as a kid, the Lincoln, inside at least, was much more impressive. Other than the leather, nothing in the Caddy seemed all that special. But I can remember riding in the back of those Lincolns and thinking that they were pretty great. I really like the updated looks of the ’74s, and then the ’78 and ’79’s open rear wheels. I never knew they had different, and apparently, crappier dashes.

I also remember the Coupe de Ville being a huge seller at the time, while the Lincoln coupes sold in far fewer numbers. These are certainly the end of an era.

Looking at these pictures reminds me of how much I miss the broad range of color choices, for both exteriors and interiors, that were available on the cars of this era. The choices weren’t always good (it was the ’70s, after all) but on average new cars offered around 15 exterior color choices and five or six for the interior, especially on higher-end cars like this one. That blue leather sofa up above is gorgeous, and you usually also had the choice of green, red, brown, or white seats with one of those other colors for the dash and carpet. Unfortunately, cost-cutting gradually did away with wider color choice.

I miss that too. I think the number of interior color choices were even higher for these cars, and Cadillacs, probably closer to 10, throughout the 70s.

How many people today would really choose some shade of green for the interior? As I write this, I remember my 2004 allroad, which offered a green interior. I would have gone for it, but my wife rejected it.

The first thing I would do if today’s sedans offered an interior color like blue, maroon or green is check that box right off when ordering my new ride. I am so sick of all black and gray it makes me want to vomit!

I almost bought a 77 Town Coupe identical to the one in the photos except it was triple baby blue, same alloy wheels too. She was sitting at a Shell station for a few months, in the end I passed since I already had an giant 78 Eldorado, huge 77 New Yorker and a 76 Safari wagon. I feared one more land yacht would have put me on the organized crime/neighborhood pimp watch list, not to mention it was a condo where I only had one parking space, so much of my time was spent ferrying cars around from space to space to prevent them from getting the dreaded orange sitcker of doom, the condo association president accused me of running a used car dealership out of my home.

We could wonder what if Lincoln had decided to keep the Town Coupe for the remainder of the 1980s? Sure it could step in the territory of the aero Mark VII but I think Lincoln could had attracted additionnal customers who didn’t liked the shrinked FWD C-body Fleetwood/Deville coupe. Maybe Mathew McConaughey would had drived a Town Coupe instead of a Town Car sedan in the movie “The Lincoln Lawyer”, who knows? 😉

Cadillac did stll continue to offer a full size RWD Brougham coupe through 1985, even after the FWD C-bodies came out, but there really wasnt any interest in them anymore, so it was dropped for 1986 and the Brougham sedan continued on.

I visited a Lincoln dealership in April 1979, test drove a Mark and a Town Coupe. My 3 year old Royal Monaco felt like a compact in relation to the LIncolns. Drive out prices, no trade, were just under $ 12K and $ 10K. I didn’t buy one, but really liked both models. Even in 1979, these cars were almost extinct. I didn’t wish to drive one at $ 1 a gallon.

Last summer, I had a real itch to buy another vintage car. On Ebay, I saw a 79 Mark, 35K on the clock. $ 5500. The car happened to be 5 miles from my house. No one bid on the car for at least two weeks. I successfully fought the urge to look at, if I saw it, I’d buy it. Some time later, I saw the car pass the golf course where I golf. This car was sweet, but I was happy that I didn’t buy it. I already have a 78 Eldo and the old Dodge mentioned above.

A week ago, I bought a sweet old lady owned 85 Lebaron convertible. I’d rather have the Mark, but with gas prices threatening $ 5, I’ll be glad to have the Lebaron. With one regular car and three vintage cars, where does the madness end? Cheers!

I Paid $450 in 2000 for it…maybe 600 later I had a Conv that lasted me 2 years and Got Compliments -as if it was a Retro Survivor of the 80s? clearly it seemed by Warm reactions i got to it…..point is enjoy it!

I can’t possibly buy another car. I keep 2 in storage units, one in my single garage, and one outside. The wife wants to buy a new car, but beefs about the fact that I’ve always hogged the garage, and her car sits outside. She keeps telling me that 5 cars between us is ridiculous, and expensive. I counter that the 3 vintage cars cost less to buy and maintain than any “practical” and “mundane” new car she wants.

I have to agree, shuttling the cars around is like a Chinese fire drill. But I actually enjoy it.

He’s right it doesn’t end you just get more creative in how you store them/move to a place you can store more. One of the keys is getting your wife a second car too. The other is renting/buying a storage yard.

We didnr get these barges new but the local Fords got the Lido land yacht treatment hidden lights landau bars fake rolls grille and all the usual brouham crap it was available in only 2doors but never popular mostly the LTD trim was 4 door only. I dont remember loose pillow seats in OZ Im not sure its legal but NZ luxo models of Chrysler have them.

My uncle had a Ford LTD which aped the Lincoln style, they were the largest car ever built in Australia I believe. They sold it after continually overheating rear axle bearings towing a 30′ caravan on their round-Australia trip & bought a Jeep Grand Wagoneer (which were just called the Cherokee here). Even those were a good foot shorter than these Lincolns.

If such a law exists (which I highly doubt), I would like to:
1) Wonder why people involved with said law are still alive,
2) Wonder how in a supposedly free country this is allowed to happen
3) Shoot the people involved with said law.

All in jest! No offence to patriotism, only to nanny-state fascists, who are slowly but surely gaining in power.

“The Town Coupe continued, but only for one model year. In 1981, all Continentals were renamed Town Cars.”

I believe the Continental Town Coupe carried on through 1981, in 1982 the continental name went to the Fox platform thus turning the previous Continental into the Town Car. A similar move was done in 1983 with the LTD and crown victoria/Marquis and Grand Marquis.

For some reason I liked the looks of panther versions of these, I see hotrod potential in those town coupes with all the 2003+ goodies swapped in.

The big ones like these have very little appeal to me past 73, they just became too imposing and monolithic, especially with the Mark style grill. The narrow grill with small headlight doors makes it look like the tacked on part that it is.

I love those images. They look like something off Springsteen’s Nebraska album. They sort of say things used to be great but now it’s winter and the symbol of success is for sale. The dream is over. Depressing in a beautiful way.
Great write-up also.

For Mine I’d Like a 1977 Designer Series, before The Dash was dashed down to a grand marquisWOW… I CARE though.

I see this is a 1978 model, That Comes In Aqua mist…”TownCoupe ” Model canceled but in Brochures

Id also m$M Like An Aqua1976 mk5color AQUA-PEarlesentbluegreen1976. It Was Like the Givenchy Model, I May Have The Designer Series (r) “Name” incorrect, but one Designer Series Was the Aqual Pearl – Who Was it ? How MANY? I envyd the one I saw growing up. I wanted It So Bad To Cruze around in…

I Too would like Designer series, Collectors series, Cartier, Aqua Leather?or white… I see why they had so few coupe Town Car Sales…MARK iv/V Top Echelon. in Blass? Sailor Blue n White 2 Tone Leather is Good Too, But The 4 Door of This Model Makes So Much More Sense Now.

I Actually Got To Drive a 1975 or 6 Town Car, Not Too Long Ago, maybe 1999… was like steering a barge … loose too

Tom — Can you provide me with a phone number for the owner of this car? I showed your post to my father. He owned a 1976 Mercury Marquis coupe in this same color combination, and actually has some interest in purchasing this car. Thanks for your help!

Please forgive me if someone already posted this, but does anyone remember the horrid round lamp atop the headlamp cover that was optional on the 1980 Continentals? Worst idea ever…and I did not care for the 1980 redesign to begin with…

I really like the Big FOMOCO look, especially the 1970’s.
theres a 1978 Lincoln Town Coupe with 110k miles for sale in my area (it’s sitting on a farm on my way home), for 7000 bucks. it has the half vinyl roof, moonroof option, matching (?!) mag wheels (the car is painted Pumpkin/Bronze with matching sabre wheels, carpeting), the seats are white leather with pumpkin accents and white half vinyl roof with opera window. Is that standard color option? the car is totally complete restored with new paint. is this a good price? I drive to work and back 14 miles a day thru farmland (I work in Kohler, Wisc)…there’s no rust on the car at all!

Any Lincoln experts can answer this question for me…… I am the proud owner of a ’78 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe, easily one of my favorite cars I’ve ever owned. Its white exterior, emerald green interior. In excellent condition with only 70,000 miles, and only a few paint blemishes on the lower exterior door panels. In fact, you can view a video of the car in a local online publication at http://www.roadbelly.com, the car gets soo much attention, its receiving local celebrity status around here.

My question: Do the rear opera windows operate? As most of us know, when you roll the windows down, the small front ‘smokers’ window will roll down first, then the main window. I was always hoping if you continued holding down the button, then a relay would kick-in the rear opera windows, and they would also roll down. I noticed these opera windows weren’t permanently mounted with a seal, but appeared to be on a track and even have a little play in them if you attempt to manually move them.

I really appreciate your narrative on this…concise yet wistful … Effectively!
My family was of the Cadillac persuasion, so when ‘The Standard of The World’ downsized, a big, luxurious Lincoln Continental Town Car was purchased. Funny thing, there were quite a FEW Cadillacs in the used car lots. Go figure.
I will say, even though I was only 11 years old…riding in that American flagship, in that sumptuous interior…I felt that I arrived.
…and the love affair continues

I love these cars. I drove a free 79 for 10 years. Never a major failure. Only issue I had was smoker windows coming off track. The 80 up design of the window was better. How I loved the majestic styling of that car and it was well made. Over the years that car took out 2 dodge neons, 4 hwy signs, 4 mailboxes, a Nissan and a 711 with out sustaining any damage. Yea it burned a lot of gas but it always got you there in style. It was eventually replaced by an 88 town car which was not as Impressive looking but was better handling smoother riding and was an economy car always getting 15 miles to the gallon. Lol.

A gentleman in my neighborhood has one of these; whenever it’s parked on the street when I walk by, I’m struck by pangs of desire. Immaculate condition and a beautiful ride. I’ve always been partial to these cars.

Serious jealousy. My father had a white 78 when I was in high school. I got to drive it to my senior prom. However, it took me an entire day to get it cleaned up enough to be presentable, never mind that it was less than a year old. Dad drove a lot and the dead bugs were about a half an inch thick all over the front of the thing, and there were tar splatters all over the bottom. Full ashtrays, too. It sure looked good when he got it back, though.

Great website and particulary this Lincoln page.
I thought to revisit and share that i have seen a pristine condition 1976 Town Coupe, same color etall, for sale in Florida, while browsing the website. I am not in anyway connected to the company nor website and only posting this for the interest sharing with readers of similar interest.http://www.mjcclassiccars.com/1976-lincoln-town-coupe-cream.shtml#
Excuse me webmaster, if posting this link is not within the acceptable etiquette and rules of posting a reply here. Thank You.

I have always wanted the lincoln towne coupe, so after a long talk with the wife, of 49 years I finaly got one. she said yes. I have a white one with pretty blue cloth inside. It is a 1978 lincoln towne coupe. very nice thanx

Another neat car and great article. Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, I always preferred the downsized Cadillac’s to these for there tidier size, superior handling and fleeter performance with the 425 compared to Lincoln’s lower output 400 but if given a choice of two clean examples would take either today.

I have always loved these barges. I was sorely tempted to purchase one of the coupes during the mid to late eighties when nice used ones were plentiful in northern Ohio where I lived at the time. The timing was never quite right though so I ended up renting town cars for trips whenever it was appropriate. At the time, Budget offered the Panther 4 door town cars for $39 a day I recall. In January of 89 I invited my mom and Aunt Hazel to accompany me to Florida for the annual Thomas Register sales meeting and for the trip I rented a beautiful burgundy town car. The ladies rode in the back seat and passed me home made brownies for 1200 miles. We listened to old radio programs on cassettes that I had borrowed from the public library. Mom had never been to Florida before and Aunt Hazel was anxious to show it to her. After an overnight at Uncle Bob’s winter home in northern FL we pushed on to Fort Lauderdale. The first night at our beach hotel a gale force storm blew in. As we looked out our 7th story window we marveled at a garbage dumpster blowing across the parking lot. I said, “look, that dumpster is going to hit that car.” “Wait a minute, that’s my LINCOLN!” Sure enough the dumpster hit the back of my rented town car, took out the taillight and dented the fender. The damage was $500 and the hotel refused to be responsible of course. I don’t recall how that all turned out but we still enjoyed the car and the trip.

During the mid 70s shortly before he retired, my grandfather had a gold 1973 or 1974 Continental. I think it was his first Lincoln as he had been a Cadillac man since buying a 1959 DeVille to replace his ’56 Olds Eighty Eight after a particularly successful year. One small picture of the Continental survives in front of some real estate he was flipping in Eastham on the Cape back then, dated October 1975. I’ve always thought these were extremely elegant looking cars inside and out. I love the portholes, the bladed fenders (great when parking one of these suckers), the big Lincoln star, and the uncluttered looking dash, especially with the pre ’78 ribbon speedo. I would love one in powder blue, or silver with burgundy leather (I like the Williamsburg package but would not want the 400 V8). I’m not sure whether grandpa had another Lincoln after this, but he eventually bought a late 70s downsized DeVille or Fleetwood before he and my grandmother switched to buying Grand Marquis every 3 years in the 80s. So I guess this is the car that converted him to FoMoCo.

In my recent search for one of the jumbo cruisers of the 70s, I had persistently sought out one of these–a ’75-’77 especially–for a test drive, as I’ve always liked their looks. I had also looked for one 3 years ago prior to buying my downsized Electra. For all that, I’ve never driven one because I’ve never found one in the Northeast that is in decent condition for a reasonable price. Everyone seems to want $5000 + for them or they are beat to hell. I hadn’t understood these to be exactly sought after like the 60s models and I’m guessing it’s an overvaluation on the seller’s part based on the brand; Cadillacs tend to be overpriced too (or people try to claim a regular Fleetwood is a “Talisman”), whereas Buick, Olds, and Mercury people seem to have laid off the crack pipe. It’s one of the reasons I ended up with a 98 instead. The other reason was I really wanted a 4-door hardtop.